PEORIA — The new dean of business, hospitality and information systems at Illinois Central College is looking forward to getting a chance to expand the school's offerings in a number of areas.

Only on the job a little over a month, Julie Howar has run into winter weather that's been anything but hospitable. "With the snow days and school closings, I don't think I've had a chance to get a full week in yet," she said.

It's not that Howar is unfamiliar with Midwestern winter temperatures. She spent 12 years with Ivy Tech Community College and Davenport University in South Bend, Ind.

She's also no stranger to central Illinois. "I grew up in Dunlap and attended both ICC and Bradley University," said Howar.

Although the hospitality division represents the smallest of her three responsibilities, Howar looks for growth. "We already have a concentration in hospitality. Restaurant management is an area we look to expand," she said.

Howar splits her time between ICC's East Peoria campus and ICC North, 5407 N. University St. where culinary students, decked out in sparkling white uniforms, take direction from ICC chefs in a modern, glass-walled kitchen/classroom in Dogwood Hall.

Preparing chefs at ICC to work in area restaurant kitchens is just one of the goals for the hospitality division, she said. "Employers are always looking for new people," said Howar, adding that ICC Chef Charles Robertson is exploring possibilities to work more closely with Bradley University that presently offers a four-year hospitality degree.

"I see Peoria as a good market for culinary graduates, especially as the economy improves," she said.

Among the 230 students enrolled in the ICC culinary program is Howar's daughter, Jennifer, a freshman at the school.

But there's more than just culinary programs on Howar's plate. "The bulk of my position is spent on the East Peoria campus overseeing business and computer science offerings," she said.

In order to provide value for students and the community, itself, Howar said it was important to respond to the needs of employers. "We have to keep our ear to the ground. We spend a lot of time talking with human relations people in order to understand what's needed in an ever-changing job market," she said.

"Each of the programs has an advisory board made up of employers who give us feedback," said Howar.

Overseeing 20 full-time professors at ICC is also part of Howar's job. "We want to make sure that our faculty stays active," she said.

Howar said another of her jobs is to promote the school. "We need to let people know what ICC has to offer. We have some great vocational programs but there's so much more than that, especially in business administration and marketing," she said.

Page 2 of 2 - "We need to get the word out that going to a community college shouldn't be a second choice. It's a great way to save money while getting a great education. I'm so impressed with the passion and teaching skills of the faculty here," said Howar.

While pushing ahead with efforts to bring program-level accreditation for culinary classes, the dean also works on the development of more online sessions. "Online education has its pros and cons. We're also using social media in the marketing area," she said.

Now if the weather would just cooperate, Howar, still trying to sell her previous home in South Bend, could take care of her lengthy to-do list.